AMELIORATION OF LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE-INDUCED SEPSIS IN RATS BY FREE ANDESTERIFIED CARNITINE

THE purpose of this study was to determine if free or esterified carni tine could alter fatty acid metabolism and ameliorate sepsis in lipopo lysaccharide (LPS)-treated rats. Throughout a 96 h observation post-LP S, i.p. administration of both markedly reduced illness and accelerate d recovery. Carnitine prevented the acute LPS-induced rise in serum tr iglycerides (45 +/- 6, 59 +/- 5 vs. 83 +/- 8 mg/ml, p < 0.001), respec tively. This difference was accompanied by a significant increase in l iver lipogenesis in LPS controls compared to both carnitines and norma l rats (6.1 +/- 0.3 vs. 3.9 +/- 0.5, 4.3 +/- 0.5, and 1.8 +/- 0.4 mu m ol/h, respectively, p < 0.04). Compared to normal rats, total liver ca rnitine was significantly elevated in LPS controls and even higher in the carnitine groups (357 +/- 40 vs. 736 +/- 38, 796 +/- 79, and 1081 +/- 21 nmol/g). The data suggest that carnitines may be of therapeutic value in sepsis treatment and one action may be to partition fatty ac ids from esterification to oxidation.